Intermediate panel connector



Sept. 11, 1962 Filed Oct. 8, 1959 B. B. BASCHKIN INTERMEDIATE PANEL CONNECTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 11, 1962 B. B. BASCHKIN 3,054,078

INTERMEDIATE PANEL CONNECTOR Filed 001',- 8, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 4

FIG.3

United States 3,054,078 INTERMEDIATE PANEL CONNECTOR Bernard B. Baschkin, White Plains, N.Y., assignor to Burndy Corporation, a corporation of New York Filed Oct. 8, 1959, Ser. No. 845,174 1 Claim. (Cl. 339-18) This invention relates to separable multiple contact electrical panels and, more particularly, to an intermediate panel connector for selectively establishing electrical contact between electrical panels.

It is often necessary or desirable to electrically join circuits in an electric system. In the past, when it was desirable to join a plurality of circuits with a chassis, a special jumper permanently joined the contacts together. Sometimes the junction connection was exterior to the connector contacts.

One of the objects of this invention, therefore, is to provide an intermediate junction connector which may be utilized in standard separable panels.

Another object of this invention is to provide an intermediate junction connector for use in multiple contact separable panels having removable pin and socket contacts which may interchangeably be mounted in identical insulation panels.

A further object of this invention is to provide junction means which may selectively join a plurality of contacts within multiple contact separable electrical panels.

One of the features of this invention is the provision of an intermediate panel connector in which a multiple set of contacts are mounted on an electrically conductive base for insertion between the mating contacts of multiple contact separable panels.

Another feature of this invention is the provision of multiple contact separable panels in which the pin and socket contacts may be interchangeably mounted within the panels. An intermediate panel connector having opposed pin contacts is utilized to join opposing socket connectors mounted in the separable panels.

The above-mentioned and other features and objects of the invention will become more apparent by reference to the claims, and the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view in perspective of multiple contact mating electrical panels, and a plurality of intermediate junction connectors electrically connecting selective contacts of the mating panels;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view partly in cross-section of the coupled electrical panels utilizing several intermediate junction connectors therebetween;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of a typical intermediate junction connector;

FIG. 4 is a similar view of another typical intermediate junction connector; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an intermediate junction connector with by-pass opening mating panel.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawing, the electrical mating panel connectors comprises pin panel and socket panel 12. The panels are each formed of insulating material into bases 14 and 16, respectively. The bases, 14 and 16 include a plurality of contact openings such as those designated a through ii. Each of the contact openings is adapted to have an electrical contact pin or socket mounted therein. Normally, the panel 10 contains pin contacts and the panel 12 contains socket contacts. Each of the contacts is terminated on one end by an electrical conductor connected to the wiring of the electric circuit, and on its other end is adapted to mate with its opposing contact. In order to assist in the proper alignment of the plug and receptacle portions, polarizing pins 18 and 20 are mounted in the pin panel 10 and are adapted to engage opposed openings in the socket panel '12. In addition, mounting holes 22 may be utilized to mount the electrical connector to a supporting chassis.

In accordance with the principles of our invention, intermediate junction connectors, such as 24, 26, 28, and 30 are provided. Each junction connector comprises an electrically conductive base 32 having electrical contacts 34 mounted to one side thereof. On the opposite side of base 32, normally aligned with electrical contacts 34, are electrical contacts 36. Junction connectors, as will be indicated hereinafter, may be provided with pin and/ or socket contacts depending on the panel contacts to be engaged. Thus, a junction connector 24 is designed and adapted to electrically join two selected socket contact positions in the pin and socket panels; for example, contacts a and c. In this instance, the pin contacts normally located in positions a and c of pin panel 10 are replaced with the socket contacts shown, and the junction connectors 24 has its pin contacts 36 inserted into the sockets now located in contact openings a and c. The pin contacts 34 will then mate with the sockets in socket panel 12. In a similar manner, junction connector 26 is designated to electrically join three adjacent socket contacts disposed in contact openings 1', j and I. These too have their normal pin contacts replaced with socket contacts shown. The junc tion connector 26 then connected the socket contacts in openings 1', j and l with the corresponding socket contacts in socket panel 12. Similarly, the four position junction connector 23 and the five position junction connector 30 have the corresponding intermediate junction connector pins in pin panel 10 replaced by socket contacts permitting the junction connectors to be coupled between panels 10 and 12.

In practice, when all the desired junction connectors are properly located in the pin panel 10 of the electrical connector, the socket panel 12 which contains only sockets is joined or coupled to the panel 10. It is understood that the junction connectors 24, 26, 28, and 30 and the pin contacts located in all other openings of panel 10 mate with socket contacts in the panel 12 and each socket of panel 12 has a mating pin contact to which it is joined.

In FIG. 2, there is illustrated pin and socket panels 10a and 12a provided with an intermediate junction connector 24a. The pin contacts 36a of junction connector 24a engage socket contacts 38 which have replaced the pin contacts 40 normally positioned in the corresponding contact openings. The pin contact 34a of junction connector 24a engages normal socket contact 42 of the socket panel 12a.

There is additionally shown in FIG. 2, an intermediate junction connector 26a which is provided with a plurality of pin contacts. Between junction connectors 26a and 24a, normal pin and socket contacts 40 and 42 are shown, which are not joined by intermediate connectors.

A form of readily interchangeable pin and socket contacts for use with panels, are shown and described in greater detail in application Serial No. 735,229, filed May 4, 1958.

In FIG. 3, there is illustrated an intermediate junction connector 44 having socket contacts 26 on one side thereof and pin contacts 48 on the other. Such an arrangernent may be used where necessary to avoid making changes in the existing contacts of coupled panels.

There is also shown in FIG. 3, a method of securing the contacts 26 and 48 to the intermediate junction base 50. The contacts 26 and 48 may be made of a rod or tube which is placed in aperture 52 and upset or staked as at 54 and 56 in the proper portion to secure it securely in position. The junction base is made of highly conductive metal, such "as, copper to transmit the current eflicie'ntly.

In FIG. 4, a sooket-and-socket intermediate junction connector 58 is shown wherein sockets 60 and 62 are used to join -nominating pin panels.

In FIG. 5, a'pin 64 and'socket G'Ginterrnediate junction connector 68 is shown provided with an aperture 70 for by-passing one or more mating pin and socket contact parts to which an electrical junctionconnection is not sought, The foregoing connectors enable selected circuits to be joined intermediate standard separable panels which ma be of the multiple contact variety. These may also be employed with panels having removable pin and socket contacts which may be "interchangeably mounted in'ide'ntic'al insulation panels.

I have thus described my invention, but I desire it understood that it is not confined to the particular forms or uses shown and described, the same being merely illustrative, and that the invention may be carried out in other ways without departing from'the spirit of my in- Vention, and, therefore, I claim broadly the right to employ all equivalent instrumentalities coming within the scope of the 'appended'claim, and by means of which, objects of my invention are attained and new results accomplished, as it is obvious that the particular embodimerits herein shownand described are only some of the many that can be employed to attain these objects and accomplish these results.

I claim:

An electrical connector assembly comprising a pair of panels, each panel having a first and second group of electrical contacts, the first group of contacts in one of said panels adapted to mate with the first group of contacts in the other of said panels, a junction connector having an electrically conductive base and a first set of contacts mounted on one side of and electrically connected to said base, and a second set of contacts mounted on the other side of and electrically connected to said base, said first set of contacts adapted to mate with said second group of contacts in one of said panels and said second set of contacts adapted to mate with said second group of contacts in the other of said panel whereby said second group of contacts in said panels may be electrically joined.

References Cited in the file ofthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,007,848 Cromartie July 9, 1935 2,265,341 Borchert Dec. 9, 1941 2,594,069 Poehlmann Apr. 22, 1952 2,742,626 Collins et al. Apr. 17, 1956 2,904,771 Burtt et al Sept. 15, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 367,545 Germany Ian. 23, 1923 746,000 Great Britain Mar. 7, 1956 756,719 Great Britain Sept. 5, 1956 

